Accordion cables with a prefolded and retractable configuration are advantageously used for placement within a slideable drawer to maintain electrical connection between one end of the drawer and an electrical panel at the remote end. As the drawer is moved outwardly and inwardly, the cable expands and retracts accordingly.
Prior to the present invention it has been the practice to provide retractable cables which are prefolded with permanent accordion folds by providing stiffened members along the straight portion between the loop portions of the folded cable and strain relief threads at each fold such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,870. These cables are usually manufactured in accordance with customer specifications in a prefolded accordion configuration.
Although prefolded accordion cables with permanent folds have been manufactured, such has not made it possible for users of accordion cables to take a flat cable and construct a retractable accordion cable according to their own specification in field use.
It has also been known to fixedly clamp each of the fold portions of a retractable cable to maintain the cable in its prefolded configuration and to protect the cable from rubbing against the casing during expansible movements such as shown in United States Letters Patent No. 3,488,430. However, the disclosed cable clips are for sliding along the surface of the drawer casing to prevent the destruction of the insulation about the conductor wires, and do not provide a resilient force for retracting the cable and maintaining it in an accordion fold configuration.